The recent report of two hunters who developed neurological diseases following eating infected deer meat has scientists concerned regarding the potential spread of ‘zombie deer disease’ to humans. There are fears that this disease, similar to mad cow disease, might have severe implications if it were to pass from animals to humans.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) was first discovered in deer in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming in the 1990s. Since then, it has been found in free-ranging deer, elk, and moose in at least 32 states across the United States. Deer infected with CWD may exhibit symptoms such as weight loss, lack of coordination, stumbling, drooling, and lack of fear of humans, hence the term “zombie deer”.
The concern arises from the possibility of CWD jumping to humans, just as